Bayer offers polymeric platform for drug-releasing coatings
Baymedix CD coatings can be customised to a range of active ingredients
Bayer MaterialScience has introduced its Baymedix CD drug-releasing coating platform to the North American market. This technology was developed for the drug-eluting stent market, but collaborations are already underway with manufacturers of a variety of drug-releasing medical devices.
The Baymedix CD coatings can be customised to achieve different release rates by balancing the hydrophobic and hydrophilic elements of the polymer matrix. The target drug can be released in a few hours, or several months. This also means a range of active substances can be released, from small molecule drugs to biopharmaceuticals.
The mechanical properties of the coatings are suitable for many demanding applications as they are both strong and flexible, which allows them to be used, for example, on expandable stents. The smooth, uniform appearance of the coatings, applied by spraying or dipping, is an additional benefit.
Although it can also be coated onto polymeric substrates, Bayer says Baymedix CD gives good adhesion to metals such as stainless steel and nitinol. The process for coating a device involves surface activation, followed by an additional surface modification, and then application of the coating along with the drug. The surface modification allows a covalent bond between the substrate and the coating to be formed, giving excellent adhesion.
Bayer says Baymedix CD’s suitability for implantation has been demonstrated in part by porcine coronary artery tests, where no adverse reactions were seen. Additional biocompatibility tests support the inertness of the coatings. They can be sterilised by gamma irradiation or ethylene oxide.
